Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool started the weekend in third place in the Premier League and have only been kept off the top of the table by virtue of goal difference. The objective for them will be at least to keep pace with Manchester City and Arsenal but they will also hope that results go their way and that they can go clear top as the sides once again break for international duty.
Last weekend saw Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool all score 4 goals as the trio of sides continue to turn up the pressure on each other in what could shape up to be one of the tightest title races ever. It’s a case of anything you can do we can do just as well as far as these three teams are concerned.
And it was Selhurst Park where Liverpool scored their 4 goal haul last week as they played out what was by far the most entertaining game of the weekend with the Merseysiders finally coming out on top in a six goal thriller against Crystal Palace.
For all their attacking prowess they once again showed defensive deficiencies but from a neutral’s point of view they have been incredibly entertaining to watch as their aversion to clean sheets seems to continue. It may be some cause of concern for Jurgen Klopp but when you’re winning it can just about be justified.
Today sees them play host to Watford and it will no doubt be another test of their defensive capabilities when the likes of Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo come to Anfield. With the visitors sitting in 7th at the start of the weekend then confidence will no doubt be high going into this game.
They have reached these lofty heights thanks to a run of four games without defeat and if you extend the form guid even further then they have only suffered one defeat in their last eight matches. After a slow start to the campaign, Walter Mazzari’s side are once again showing why they can be such a handful.
Although let’s not forget that they were in and around this position at the same stage last season before their form nosedived after the turn of the year, it’s all very well starting the campaign strong but ultimately it’s where you finish that matters. The task for the former Inter manager Mazzari is to make sure there isn’t a repeat of that in 2017.
Last Saturday saw them edge to victory over struggling side Hull. It probably wasn’t Watford’s best performance of the season so far and they had a massive stroke of luck when Michael Dawson put through his own net late on to give Watford all three points. Harsh on Hull but Watford won’t have all that much sympathy for them in all honesty.
As for Today what can Watford get out of it? well they certainly won’t make it easy for Liverpool and on current form Liverpool will almost certainly concede a goal but their approach of how ever many they concede, then they will just score more seems to working perfectly. Therefore I will go for both teams to score but Liverpool to edge this one and stay in that leading trio of teams. Home win for me.
